503 
DESTRUCTION OF AN ELEPHANT. 
By E. Price, M.R.C.V.S., Birmingham. 
Gentlemen, — The destruction of an elephant by arti- 
ficial means being a novelty, I make no apology for forward- 
ing to you the following detailed statement, which I hope will 
be of sufficient interest to secure a place in your columns. 
I may premise that the animal, so long known to the 
“ fair-going folk” as Womb well's, was upwards of 120 years 
old, and having an incurable disease in its feet, it was unable 
to walk ; in fact, upon its recent removal from Aston Crop 
Gardens to the Sherborne Road, a distance extending per- 
haps a little more than three miles, the time occupied was 
from twelve o’clock at night until after ten the following 
morning, and although she was occasionally upon her feet 
afterwards, yet, on Sunday, the 15th instant, the animal laid 
down, and appeared unable again to rise. Under these cir- 
cumstances, communication having been made to Mr. 
Edmonds, the proprietor, and he, knowing the total impos- 
sibility of moving her by carriage from her great weight, 
being upwards of three tons, independent of the probability 
of her suffering pain, wisely determined to have her destroyed, 
in the most unobjectionable manner possible. Instructions 
having been given me to carry these wishes into effect, I 
asked the opinion of Mr. Flewitt, chemist, of this town, and, 
after due deliberation, it w^as determined to attempt the 
destruction of the animal by poison. It should be borne in 
mind that the destruction of the elephants both in London and 
Liverpool was at last effected by shooting them, but not with- 
out considerable danger and trouble, as well as pain to the 
animals ; upwards of one hundred bullets being discharged 
into the carcase of the animal, and, in one instance, after the 
attempts at poison had failed. 
However, the modern introduction of chloroform induced 
me to hope that I might accomplish my object by the direct 
introduction of prussic acid into the stomach ; therefore, on 
Tuesday, the 1 7th instant, Mr. Flewitt and myself, accom- 
panied by Mr. Rice, surgeon, of Moor Street (who kindly 
gave me his assistance), proceeded at three o’clock to carry 
our intentions into effect. A sponge was saturated with two 
ounces of chloroform, and applied by the keeper to the 
animal’s trunk, and, after the lapse of five minutes, renewed ; 
in nine minutes, the animal became insensible, being una- 
ware of the presence of her keeper, and not answering to the 
